Roosters disturbed by blood results

Kate McClymont, Chris Barrett, Michael Carayannis

Questions raised: The Roosters were shocked by the results of blood tests. Photo: Dallas Kilponen

Sydney Roosters general manager Brian Canavan said on Wednesday that his players were tested for human growth hormone without the consent of club officials and staff.

Confirming he had severed ties with the weight loss and nutritional company Nubodi earlier this year he said the Roosters had been disturbed to discover that his players were tested for the levels of HGH in their blood during the firm’s brief association with the club.

‘‘We were very unhappy that the extended testing was conducted,’’ Canavan said.

‘‘The players underwent the tests without the knowledge or consent. They thought they were being tested for conventional nutrition tests. The tests results came back to us and the growth hormone levels were indicated on the test results. We did not order those through this company. Once all this unfolded I wrote a report to the NRL integrity unit and what the integrity unit did from there I’m not sure. We dismissed the company, they didn’t supply us with anything.’’

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Six Roosters players including Boyd Cordner, Sam Moa and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck had unusually elevated levels of HGH in their blood, according to records of their bloodwork retrieved from the mobile phone of an organised crime figure.

Nubodi Group boss Sean Carolan has vehemently denied providing Sydney Roosters players with Human Growth Hormone, claiming his work with the title favourites was confined to dietary advice based on blood pathology.

The Roosters, preparing for Saturday night’s preliminary final against Newcastle at Allianz Stadium, were understood to have been told on Wednesday night by coach Trent Robinson about the club’s name being dragged into the drugs-in-sport saga. However, Canavan said the Roosters had no case to answer.

He said Nubodi had worked with the players on diet and nutrition from last December until mid-January and that he had supplied a report on their association to the NRL midway through this season.

‘‘I only became aware of it later on. I became aware of it around mid-year and that’s when I decided with everything going on that we would write the full report. We severed ties with them back in January. We as a club severed our ties in January when this all unfolded,’’ he said.

‘‘I will add that the couple of players who had elevated readings were tested again by our club doctor and those readings were perfectly normal. Some tests were done which were part of a normal nutrition test that the athletes undergo.

''It was in readiness for the players to go onto the detox diet. Our performance and medical staff were looking for pre-diet and post-diet markers just to see how effective the diets were going to be. Our club did not order growth hormone tests.

‘‘They have a battery of tests. We just ask for conventional nutrition tests. When we got the results back growth hormone levels were indicated.

‘‘The tests that we ordered were to get a blood profile on the nutritional aspects of our players. We didn’t order growth hormone. It was in readiness for our players to go onto detox diets, paleo diet. It was unsatisfactory the way they went about their business and the extended blood testing we didn’t need all that.’’

In a statement released on Thursday the club defended its procdures.

"As is the case with all clubs, players have been regularly and extensively tested throughout the season by ASADA and the Club has fully co-operated with the organisation’s routine tests," the statement said.

"In relation to matters raised in the media today, there has been full voluntary disclosure with the NRL’s Integrity Unit over many months and the Club has not been contacted by ASADA.

"We reinforce that the Club maintains the absolute highest standards in its own policies and governance, and as a Club we have nothing to hide.

"The Club will be making no further comment."

23 comments

Privacy issues aside, why should they be so upset? If their players aren't taking any performance enhancing drugs then there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

Commenter

Anonymous

Date and time

September 25, 2013, 11:36PM

Every Roosters fan should be seriously worried this morning; if not about the spectre of ASADA then because Kate McClymont is writing articles about the Club. The NRL might well be a sideline passion of hers but crime and its exposition are what she is seriously good at reporting. Canavan's flapping denials in September raise more questions than he;s answered about what happened back in January, If he's being factual about a submitted report, the NRL should confirm receipt of it and so remove what may well be "white noise" in respect to today's disclosures.

Commenter

Steve

Location

Arizona, USA

Date and time

September 25, 2013, 11:41PM

Very convenient time to publish this information

Commenter

iancowen1

Date and time

September 26, 2013, 2:27AM

what would be better?? a day before the grand final, a day after they win it???Personally I think the three Rooster players and Martin Kennedy should be stood down as a matter of principle. The Roosters keep on about the integrity of Sonny Bill, it's time for them to put up or shut up about integrity!

Commenter

Awesum Dimsum

Date and time

September 26, 2013, 10:43AM

So it was discovered that players in the off season had elevated levels of HGH. A report is finally made to the NRL mid season, when follow up tests show levels are normal. Any action to be taken against these players? Where is your stand on drugs in sport, NRL? You've had this admission since mid season

Commenter

Bazwat

Date and time

September 26, 2013, 3:16AM

Its not a good look is it?

The defence is the players didn't know they were being tested not any acknowledgement that there should be concern as to why the results are what they are?

The AFL suspends a high performance coach who then turns up on the sideline at a NFL game as a show of brotherly support?

At some stage the NFL needs to decide whether it is a professional game and if so take immediate and timely action when these issues arise and more importantly be proactive in identifying and acting upon potential breaches of the games standards.

Otherwise the two big improvers in 2013 (Roosters & Sharks) achievements unfortunately will be tainted by these stories and inferences drawn rightly or wrongly

Commenter

Bernie

Location

Bolwarra

Date and time

September 26, 2013, 3:56AM

Bernie the Sharks indescritions occurred in 2011, While the Roosters occured in the beginning of this year..

Commenter

Generalzod

Date and time

September 26, 2013, 10:07AM

What is going on??!?? Just get healthy and train hard

Commenter

Frullens

Date and time

September 26, 2013, 4:34AM

Either the players had higher than normal levels of growth hormones or they didn't. If they did, it doesn't come in rain water. What's the difference between them and Cronulla? Where to from here? It's the crime connections that sully all these drug issues, how are the connections made? I hope the reason the NRL provides so little information to the public about these things is because the police are working on catching the crime figures and any information is sensitive.

25 Sep
Sydney Roosters front-rower Martin Kennedy has confirmed some players at the club recorded ‘‘off the chart’’ levels of human-growth hormone (HGH) in their blood this year but on Wednesday night vehemently denied anyone at the club had used performance-enhancing drugs.

25 Sep
Nubodi Group boss Sean Carolan has vehemently denied providing Sydney Roosters players with Human Growth Hormone, claiming his work with the title favourites was confined to dietary advice based on blood pathology.

26 Sep
Of all the unanswered questions raised about the Sydney Roosters' involvement with sports dietary company Nubodi, this is the one the NRL cannot ignore: how did the results of blood tests, allegedly showing elevated levels of human growth hormone in six Roosters players, find their way into the mobile phone of a prominent crime figure?

26 Sep
NRL player Sandor Earl says he was naive to trust controversial sport scientist Stephen Dank who introduced him to the coaching staff of the Essendon AFL club, including now banned coach James Hird.

26 Sep
The saddest thing? It is that, prima facie, in 2013, the mere news that a major football team has been heavily mixed up with drugs is close to the “dog bites man” test of journalistic interest, rather than the other way around.